Saturday, April 30, 2011

Cambodia on Thursday submitted a request to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the interpretation of the Court's judgment of 1962 on the case of Preah Vihear temple, according to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Friday."The submission of this request has been prompted by Thailand's repeated armed aggression to exert its claims to Cambodian territory, on the basis of its own unilateral map that has no legal basis," Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.It added that Cambodia also submitted a request to the ICJ to take conservatory measures, in light of the repeated acts of aggression against Cambodian territory by Thailand's armed forces."Cambodia considers conservatory measures as unavoidable for engendering a permanent ceasefire between the two countries, thus stopping the loss of lives and preserving the temple of Preah Vihear from serious damages, until the interpretation of the ICJ' s 1962 judgment is finalized," said the statement.The border between Thailand and Cambodia has never been completely demarcated.The International Court of Justice awarded Preah Vihear temple to Cambodia in 1962.The temple was enlisted as a World Heritage Site on July 7, 2008. But Thailand claims the ownership of 4.6 square kilometers (1.8 square miles) of scrub next to the temple.Just a week after the enlistment, Cambodia and Thailand had a border conflict, triggering a military build-up along the border, and periodic clashes between Cambodian and Thai soldiers have resulted in deaths of troops on both sides.